Condenser



Sept. 18, 1928.

E. A. JOHNSEN CONDENSER Filed Jan. '7, 1927 INVEN IOR Ea'rzarA 70%):f6??? Patented Sept. 18, 1928.

' uurrsn s'rarss EINAB. A. JOHNSEN, OF MOUNTAIN LAKES, NEW JERSEY,ASSIGNOR 'lO ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, OF NEW BRUNSWICK, NEYVJERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CONDENSER.

Application filed January 7, 1927v Serial No. 159,517.

My present invention relates to a condenser and more particularly toasurface condenser of the multiple pass type. The particular feature towhich the invention relates is the provision of devices self containedin a multi-pass surface condenser for reversing the direction of theflow of the circulating medium through the condenser tubes withoutreversing the direction of the flow of the circulating medium as thesame is delivered by the means for moving the same. The etliciency of asurface condenser depends largely upon the coeflicient of heat exchangebetween the steam'to be condensed and the circulating cooling medium.This in turn is dependent largely upon maintaining a'uniform quantity offlow of the circulating medium through the condenser tubes and also uponthe condition, that is available for circulating purposes, part-icu-'larly at certain seasons of the ear, contains almost all kinds ofrefuse, dcl'iris and other foreign substances which clogthe condensertubes, and the circulating water may also contain various chemicalsubstances which have a tendency to form a scale, or to other wise clogthe space in the tubes and to thus affect the conditions of the tubes tothe detriment of the heat transfer coeficient. Condensertubes have been.cleaned in various manners, forexample by the use of a sand blast, byforcing plugs through the tubes, and by using metal brushes forscraping. the tubes, as well as in various other and similar manners. Iam aware that heretofore it has been recognized that condenser tubes maybe cleaned by reversing the flow of thecirculat-ing medium 1n order thatany refuse I which may have collected on the tube sheets or lodgedwithin the tubes may be removed and also that the formation of scale maybe obviated to some extent. 'In reversing the direction of the flow ofthe circulating medium, however, it is necessary that the piping systembe more or less involved and madeto include a. multiplicity of valves sothat the necessary piping 1s not only more or less complicated, butoccupies so much space and is so relatively costly asto make thepractice substantially prohibitive.

The reversal of the direction of the flow of the circulating medium forthe purposes of cleansing the condenser and the tubes thereof isundoubtedly more effective in the use of a single pass condenserithan itis the use of a multiple pass condenser. Nevertheless,.the reversal ofthe direction of the flow of the circulating medium may be usedadvantageously for. cleansing purposes in a multi-pass condenser, 'andthe present invention relates more particularly to the construction of amulti-pass condenser within which, so that the condenser is a selfcontained unijaineans are provided for reversing the direction of theflow of the circulating medium Without changing the direction ofthe flowof the circulating medium as delivered by the pump or pumps employed tomove-the same. 7

In carrying out my present invention the condenser made in accordancetherewith is preferably constructed to form a two pass condenser inwhichand preferably in one of the water boxes meansare provided for directingthe flow of the circulating medium to either of the banks of tubes, andmeans are also providedfor the discharge of the circulating medium frontthis water box whereby the positions of the means for directing the flowof the circulating medium may be so adjusted as to reverse the directionof the flow of the circulating medium through the banks of tubes in thecondenser without changing the direction of the flow of the circulatingmedium from the pump or pumpssupplying the same. In this type ofcondenser it is also preferable to employ a suitable batlie plate soconstructed that in normal operation the larger portion of the incomingexhaust steam is directed toward the cooler end of the condenser tubes.The condenser constructed in accordance with my present invention will 7be hereinafter more particularly described in conjunction denser shellin thecustomary manner The condenser shell is provided in any suitableInt] with the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a plan of acondenser made in accordance with the invention, and i Fig. 2 is asection on line 2-2, Fig. 1. Referring to the drawing the shell of asurface condenser is indicated at 10. In the customarymanner the endportions of the condenser-shell are flanged as indicated at 1.1 and 12and provided with tube plates 13 and I l, together with water boxes 15and 16. The water boxes and tube plates are connccted to the flanges atthe ends of the con- 'iosition with a steam inlet which as illusiratedis 'at the top of the condenser and designated at li'. lVithin thecondenser shell and extending betweenxand connected 1st their ends inthe tube plates there are series '01 banks of tubes18 and 19.Furthermore, and also as is customary, the

water box 15 isprovided with a bonnet or cover 20 and the water box 16with a bonnet or cover 21.

In a suitable position the Water box 'lti, which in this construction is'the inlet and outlet waterbox, is provided with inlet connections 22and 23 for a circulating medium. In the inlet conneetion 22 there is avalve 24. i This may be a valve of any desired type, and as illustrated,is what may be termed a flap valve mounted on a shaft which is journaledin bearings provided therefor in the walls of the Water box. At itsperipheral portion the valve 24 is adapted to bearagainst a seatfififormed in a rib .27 also in the walls of the water born The shaft 25extends through the cover 21 and exterio'rly thereof is fitted with agear or hand wheel 28 by means of which the shaft may be turnedtodetermine the position of the valve 24. I

In a similar n'ianner the inlet connection 2,3 is provided with'a'valve29; This valve is preferably similar'tothe valve 24 and is mounted on ashaft 30 which is iournaled tin bearings provided therefor in the wallsvertical-position when the condenser is set for use, althoughas will beunderstood this partition wall may assume any position depending uponthe positions of the inlet and outlet connectionsto and from the waterbox. In a centrally disposed position substantially midway between theinlet connections the water box is provided with an outlet connection35. In this outlet connection or adjacent thereto'thewater box is fittedwith a valve made in angular form, the parts of which are indicated at36 and 37. This valve is mounted on a shaft- 38 which is journaled inbearings provided therefor in the walls'of tlie water )0K and the shaftextends through the cover fllia'nd enteriorly thereof is fitted withlagear or hand wheel 39 by means of which the shaft may be turned todetermine the position of the darts 36' and 3'? of this valve; :Theperip ieral portion of the part 36 of this discharge valve is adapted tobear againsta seat' 'ew formed in a rib 41 the walls of the: dischargeconnection; Similarly the eripheral portion of the part 37 ofthedischarge valve" is adapted to bear against aseat 4210mm in a rib 43 inthe Willis of the discharge connectionfo'f the Water box V In the use ofthe condenser as hereinbe fore described; the water or other circulating' medium employed they be taken from any suitable source of supplyand ca-used to flow through a supplyline 44 means of a pump 45 driven bya motor 6' or otherwise, the discharge end ef the pump being connectedto the supply; line by a pipe 47 in which there is a valve 48. It-Willtennderstood that any necessary numberof' these circulating pumps tomeet the requirements of any given installationma' be employed.

The sup ly line 44 is provide within bra-rich 49 which is connected tothe inlet noitzle "23 and the supply line is extended as i d icated at50 so as to have one end thereof connectedto the inletconnection 22;Connected to the discharge connection 35-tliere a pipe51 leading to atdischarge line 59. In normal operatlonthe Valves in the inletconnections and the discharge "connection are set as illustrated in Fig.fl of the'drawing.

The circulating medium caused to flow by the pump 45 will therefore passto the inlet connection 22 inasmuch as the valve 24 is open and thenceto the left hand compartment in the water box as illustrated'in thisfigure through the tubes 18 in the'tube bank A tothe water box lfi whichisjconstructed to have a" unitary chamber, theme in the oppetitedirection through the tubes 19 in the tube bank B to theoutletconnectionflo and to the discharge line 52. To efiect a reversalof the flow of the circulating inedi- V urn" the valve 24 isclosed, thevalve 29 is opened, and the discharge valve is placed with the partsthereof in the position in which the partfiibettrs against the seat 42wherebyas will be understood the circulatin}: medium caused to flowbvthe pump 45 will pass to the inlet connection 23,, thence to theright'hand compartmentof the water box 16 as viewed in "Fig, 2, throughthe tiibes19 in the tube bank B to the water box 15, themes through the18in, the one esaee through the banks of tubes.

111 this type of condenser it is preferable to cmploya suitable bafileat or adjacentthe exhaust steam inlet in order to divert or direct arelatively large proportion of the incomin exhaust steam to the coolerend of the condenser tubes. Such a form of'baille plate is indicated at53 and may be made of sheet metal so curved as to have a substantiallyvertical portion 5d at one end thereof and an inclined portion 55 at theother end thereof. This baffle plate as will be understood may bemounted in any suitable manner and made in any suitable configuration toeffect its intended purposes.

It will be understood that the baflie plate 53 functions as stated todirect the greater portion of the incoming exhaust steam to the coolerends of the condenser tubes when the apparatus is operating under normalconditions in which the direction of the flow of the cooling mediumthrough the tubes is indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, and that whilethe bathe plate does not function as stated when the direction of theflow of the cooling medium is reversed, the period during which the flowof the cooling medium is reversed for the purpose of cleaning the tubesis so relatively short that the fact that the baffle plate does not thenoperate as intended will not materially affect the operation of theapparatus.

It will now be understood that the condenser as hereinbefore describedis a multipass condenser of the two pass type andthat by the use of thevalve devices in the inlet and outlet connections of the water box atone end of the condenser the reversal of the direction of the flow ofthe circulating medium may be effected without a. complicated system ofpipes and valves. Furthermore, that by relatively frequent reversals ofthe direction of the flow of the circulating medium for more or lessshort intervals of time the condenser tubes may be maintained in such acondition as to make the condenser operate in an efiicient andsatisfactory manner.,

I claim as my invention: 7 1. In a two pass surface condenser, ashell.banks of tubes therein, a water box at one end of the shell, meansshiftable within the water box for directing the low of a circulatingmedium to a predetermined bank of tubes, and means also shiftable in thewater box for controlling the discharge of the circulating mediumtherefrom whereby the circulating medium may be directed to pass in onedirection through one bank of tubes and in another dlrection hroughanother bank of tubes and by shifting the position of the said means thecirculating medium maybe directed to flow in the opposite'directionthrough the last aforesaid bank of tubes and 1D the opposite directionthrough the first aforesaid banlc of tubes.

. In a two pass surface condenser, a shell adapted to deflect the largerportion of the incoming exhaust steam through the cooler end of thecondenser tubes.

in a two pass surface condenser, a shell having an opening therein forthe admission of exhaust steam to be condensed,

banks of tubestherein, a water box at one end of the shell, means in theWater box for directing the flow of a circulating medium thereto, meansin the water boxfor directing the flow of a circulating medium from thecondenser, and a baffle plate within the shell and adjacent the saidopening therein for the exhauststeam and adapted to de fleet thelargerportion of the'incoming ex-' haust steam through the cooler end of thecondenser tubes. i

a. In a two pass surface condenser, a shell having an opening thereinfor the admission of exhaust steam to be condensed, banks of tubes inthe shell, a water box'at one end of the condenser, a transversepartition wall dividing the Water box into two oppositely disposedcompartments, inlet connections each leading to one of the compartmentsin the Water box, valves in the inlet connections for controlling thepassage of av circulating medium to either compartment in the water box,a discharge connection common to both compartments in the water and inthe opposite direction through the other bank of tubes, a commondischarge connection for the said banks of tubes. and means forcontrolling the passage of the T cooling mcdinm from either bank oftubes to the said discharge connection.

6; In a two pass surface condenser, a shell, tubes therein, a water boxhaving a partition Wall dividing the same into two compartmentscommunicating with two banks of tubes, :1 separate inlet connection toboth the said compartments for a cooling medium, a common outletconnection from the said compartments, and means for controlling thedirection of the flow of a coolmg medium. to either compartment from itsinlet connection and from the other compartment by way of the commonoutlet conspending compartment in the water box, and

means in the outlet connection for making communication between onecompartment and the outlet connection and for closing communicationbetween the other compartment and the outlet connection.

SyIn a two pass surface condenser, a

shell, tubes therein, a water box having a partition Wall dividing thesame into two a compartments, an inlet" connection for a cooling mediinnto one of the said compartments, a valve in the said inlet conne'ctionfor controlling the flow 7 of the cooling medium to the saidcompartment, an inlet connection for acoolin medium to the othercompartment, a Va e in the second inlet connection for controlling the"passae of the eoolingmedium .to the sewn compartments, and means in thedischarge I compartment, a common dischar' e for the cooling medium fromeither of said connection for opening communication between onecompartment and the discharge connection and closing-communicationbetween the other compartment and the discharge connection.

9. In a two pass surface condenser, ashell,

tubes therein, a water box having a partim'ents, a valve in the saidinlet connection for controlling the flow of the cooling medium to thesaid compartment, an inlet connection for a coolin medium to the othercompartment, a rave in the second inlet (onnection for controlling thepassage of the cooling medium to thesecond com pertinent, a'dischargeconnection common to both said compartments, and a valve insaid dischar e connection adapted to open communication between eitherof the said compartments and the discharge connection and simultaneouslytoclose com- "munication between the other compartment and the dischargeconnection.

Signed by me this 22nd day of December, 1926.

I EINAR A. JOHNSEIT 'tion Wall dividin' the same into two compartments,an iniet connection for a cooling medium to one of the said compact-

